Gurgaon: New DLF Phase 2 underpass adds to traffic chaos at Cyber City

The DLF Phase 2 underpass, meant to reduce traffic congestion, has ended up adding to traffic chaos at Cyber City

Commuters who miss the turn to the underpass drive over the non-barricaded portion of the median strip to take the road to New Delhi.(Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The DLF Phase 2 underpass, meant to reduce traffic congestion, has ended up adding to traffic chaos at Cyber City as confused commuters often miss the turn leading to the underpass and simply drive over the divider to cross over to the road going towards New Delhi.

Commuters are taking advantage of the fact that guardrail fencing on some stretches of the median strip is incomplete near the underpass, leaving enough space for vehicles to pass through and cross over to the road heading to New Delhi.

Built by DLF and the Haryana urban development authority (Huda), the one-way underpass was opened to public on a trial basis on Tuesday to keep commuters going from Cyber City and DLF Phase 3 from merging with the traffic coming from Golf Course Road through the Sikanderpur underpass.

However, for commuters, the confusion starts the moment they take the left turn to Cyber City from the service lane of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

Here, they come to a fork on the road from where the road on the right leads directly to the Sikanderpur underpass and consequently towards the Golf Course road, bypassing areas of Cyber City. The road on the left leads to offices of corporates and MNCs, CyberHub and the DLF Phase 2 underpass that takes commuters to New Delhi.

In the absence of proper signage, commuters often end up taking the wrong road. When they realise their mistake, they simply start driving on the wrong side to go back to the fork or drive their vehicles over the portion of median strip that is not barricaded in order to cross over.

“The signages are poorly placed and very small, making it difficult for commuters to spot them. Hence, it is only after crossing the fork that commuters realise they are on the wrong road and they keep driving ahead unaware of the exit that will take them back,” said Shaurya Sinha of Belverde Park near the underpass.

Regulars on the route attributed many drivers’ traffic violations to the fact that the next U-turn is quite far away.

“Despite being aware of the correct road, many drivers often miss the left turn that leads to DLF Phase 2 underpass. As the next U-turn is four km away, near the DLF Golf Course, many drivers drive their vehicles over the portion of median strip that isn’t barricaded,” said Mihir Kohli of Aralias, DLF Phase 5.